The Greenkeepers of The Goyer Golf & Countryclub
Achieving the perfect condition for a golf course doesn't happen by chance. It takes far more than a bit of sunshine and a touch of rain. While the weather certainly plays a crucial role, there is a whole world of planning, labor, and expertise that happens quietly in the early hours—long before the first tee shot is struck. This is especially true when preparing for a major professional tournament like the Dutch Ladies Open 2025.
Well before the event, usually a year in advance, the head greenkeeper and their team begin laying out a detailed plan that will bring the course to peak condition on the exact dates of the tournament. It’s a slow, steady march toward a moving target, full of unpredictability and natural challenges. The ultimate goal? A course that looks stunning, plays fair, and offers both a challenge and a thrill to the world’s best players.
A Year of Preparation
In the twelve months leading up to the tournament, almost every maintenance decision is made with the tournament week in mind. Each part of the course—the greens, fairways, rough, tees, and bunkers—needs to reach its prime condition at precisely the right moment. And yet, even the best-laid plans remain vulnerable to nature.
This past year, for example, started promisingly. The winter was mild and not overly wet—ideal conditions to begin preparations early. But then spring brought an unexpected challenge: an extended dry spell. What initially seemed like a gift—a winter without major frost or flooding—turned into a long period without substantial rainfall. This is a big deal in greenkeeping. Grass, especially on fairways and in the rough, responds quickly to changes in moisture. With less water, the fairways began to yellow, and the rough didn't grow as thick or as high as planned. It altered the very character of the course.
For the greens, though, the dry weather wasn’t necessarily bad. In fact, dry conditions can help produce the fast, firm putting surfaces that elite players and tournament officials love. Still, even the greens benefit from occasional rainfall to maintain their density and lushness. A balance must be struck—a delicate one that depends not only on nature but also on irrigation systems, soil health, and constant monitoring.
A Tournament Week Like No Other
Even though the greenkeeping team works diligently all year, tournament week adds a whole new level of intensity. During the Dutch Ladies Open, the course needs to be flawless—not just in the morning but throughout each day. There’s no room for patchy fairways, unkempt bunkers, or greens that don’t roll true. Everything must be as close to perfection as possible.
In the days leading up to the event, mowing schedules are adjusted. The greens are cut shorter than usual to increase speed, sometimes even twice a day. This is a strain on the grass, especially in a climate that’s increasingly prone to extreme weather. Fairways, too, are mown tighter than normal, bringing the ball closer to the turf and rewarding precise ball-striking.
Bunkers, often overlooked by casual golfers, receive a surprising amount of attention. They're not just raked; they’re blown clean of debris, meticulously edged, and checked for consistent sand depth. During tournament week, even the visual presentation of bunkers matters—they must look as good as they play.
The work doesn’t stop when the players are on the course. In fact, that’s when the schedule becomes even more demanding.
The 5 AM Start
Each day during the Dutch Ladies Open starts in darkness. At 5:00 AM, the greenkeeping crew gathers for a brief but essential meeting. With coffee in hand and headlights on tractors, they go over the day's schedule. Tasks are assigned with military precision. Every minute counts.
By 5:15, the course comes to life with the quiet hum of mowers and utility vehicles. The greens are usually the first priority. On tournament days, each green is mown twice and then rolled—this process flattens minor imperfections and enhances green speed. A perfectly smooth, quick green is one of the defining features of championship golf.
Meanwhile, others in the team are tending to the bunkers. Fallen leaves, footprints from practice rounds, or any windblown debris is removed with blowers. Rakes follow behind, ensuring the surface is smooth and ready for play. Every bunker must be restored to a state of fairness, ready to penalize wayward shots without introducing inconsistency.
As the sun begins to rise, fairways are swept with large rope to remove dew. This seemingly small detail makes a big difference. Dew can slow down ball roll, interfere with spin, and even affect putting on early-morning greens. The players may not always notice it, but the absence of dew is part of what makes professional golf feel so “clean.”
All of this needs to be completed by 9:00 AM—well before the first group of players reaches the first tee. If greenkeepers are still on the course while play is underway, it disrupts not only the aesthetics of the broadcast but the rhythm of the tournament. Timing is everything.
After the Last Putt Drops
One might think that after a long morning of work and a full day of tournament play, the greenkeeping crew gets to rest. Not quite. As the last group finishes their round and the sun begins to set, the crew returns to the course. This time, the work is more about restoration than presentation.
Divots on the fairways are filled—each one carefully plugged with sand and seed to help the grass recover. The tee boxes, worn down by hundreds of shots, are mown again and touched up. Any signs of wear and tear, from foot traffic to pitch marks, are dealt with. These late shifts ensure that the course can look just as pristine the next morning as it did on day one.
This intense cycle repeats for three straight days. Early mornings, late evenings, constant vigilance, and not a moment of downtime during daylight hours. It's physically demanding work that requires not only stamina but passion and pride. And then, just like that, the tournament is over.
The Day After: Back to "Normal"
For the players, the end of the Dutch Ladies Open means travel, rest, and perhaps a celebration or two. For the greenkeepers, the finish line of the tournament is merely a checkpoint. There’s no real “end” to course maintenance.
The very next day, the focus shifts back to the members of the golf club. They expect—and deserve—a great playing experience too. Tees must be repositioned. Greens are returned to less stressful mowing heights. Bunkers are restored to their regular maintenance cycle. In short, the course has to transition from hosting elite professionals to welcoming its regular guests, often without skipping a beat.
The Unsung Heroes of Tournament Golf
Watching a professional golf tournament on TV, it’s easy to get swept up in the beauty of the surroundings. Lush fairways, dazzling greens, strategically placed bunkers, and a seamless flow from hole to hole—it looks effortless. But it is anything but. Behind every great shot and every picturesque hole is a team of greenkeepers who’ve poured their knowledge, time, and heart into the course. They know every blade of grass, every subtle slope in the greens, and every patch of ground that might need a little extra care. They work when the rest of us are asleep. They solve problems before we even notice them.
They’re not chasing trophies or media attention. Their reward is the quiet satisfaction of seeing the course shine on a global stage—and knowing they helped make it possible. As the Dutch Ladies Open 2025 becomes a memory, one thing remains constant: the dedication of the greenkeeping team. Through frost and drought, through early mornings and long evenings, they keep the heart of the golf course beating. So the next time you walk onto a beautifully maintained course—whether as a player or a spectator—take a moment to appreciate the work that happens behind the scenes. The course didn’t get that way by accident. It was crafted with care, skill, and an early alarm clock.
